7 sins of demotivation every manager should be aware of

Being a team manager is quite a challenge nowadays as your team is usually a bunch of people with different personality traits, different life experience, different needs, priorities and often a different attitude to life. And what is more important, being a manager means being cautious enough to make these people work effectively together, and being careful enough not to omit the moment of potential crisis that would not be able to be undone anymore.

I sometimes meet managers who do not see people but only numbers. Don’t be this kind of manager, the manager who doesn’t have time to speak with their employees and who doesn’t care about their job satisfaction. Be the manager who can see what motivates and demotivates people you work with. Be the manager who is aware of the consequences of demotivation at work and who can help the employees feel fully engaged. Be the manager who is aware of 7 sins of demotivation.

Sin 1: The lack of appreciation

Not everyone needs or likes to be appreciated by a manager every day. I would even say that there are people (probably a few, but still) who don’t care about social relations at work at all. They come to work every day and the only thing they expect is to get salary on time. Yet the majority of people want something more. They work hard and have a strong need to feel appreciated for what they do. When the manager doesn’t see their effort, they feel frustrated, angry or upset, and in the end just demotivated. Don’t be a manager who doesn’t recognise the effort of your team.

Sin 2: The lack of sense

The tasks we do at work should not be pointless. If you delegate some extra time-consuming assignments to your team, make sure there are not any things that are more important to do. Having too many things to do cause frustration and demotivation in the long run. A good manager ought to delegate tasks clearly and help their employees organise their time properly and efficiently.

Sin 3: The lack of respect

Respect is the key element in every relation built on trust and mutual support. If respect is missing at workplace and managers contempt their employees, it is a fine line to losing good people and losing a good team. Don’t respect some people more and others less. If you don’t like the quality of work your employee does, say it honestly and openly but do not offend anyone.

Sin 4: The lack of challenges

Routine may kill me. I know there are a lot of people who absolutely enjoy their routine and the lack of new tasks is something they really want, but I also know energetic people who cannot imagine their lives without new challenges and changes at work every now and then. Be the manager who takes advantage of the potential of your employees. Be the manager who is able to manage the talents that are under your roof. Don’t let them search for motivation in other companies.

Sin 5: The lack of fair treatment

Don’t favour some employees, and disadvantage others. It is one of the most common reason of demotivation for experienced workers. As a manager doesn’t let yourself being manipulated by your internal likings. Even if you get on better with some employees than the rest, don’t undervalue the REST. These are still people with high competences, ambitions and qualifications. Your employees don’t have to like the same things as you do to treat them fairly. Don’t let them feel demotivated just because they do not like chocolate cake as much as you do. Though this one might be quite a legit reason. ;)

Sin 6: The lack of development

Most of people crave for self-development, aim high and want to succeed. If the company doesn’t offer any space for personal and professional growth, employees not only get into a rut, but also start feeling demotivated about what they do and how they do it, and why they do it. Be a manager who is concerned about their team’s goals and self-development. Be a manager who allows individuals to do trainings and to master new skills. Be a manager who is open to new ideas.

Sin 7. The lack of positive vibes

Good managers should care about the atmosphere at work. And what is even more important, good managers are motivated managers. People who can disperse negative vibes from their employees. The seventh sin of demotivation is a negative attitude, the negative attitude that may bring down the whole team. If you have negative people in your team, take them aside and talk privately how they can improve their approach. Everyone may have a bad day, but in the end it is the positive atmosphere people need.

And what do we want

We all want to feel that we are doing something vital and significant at our work. It is invaluably important for employees to feel that they are the backbone of the company, and that they are attached to something bigger than themselves. Inform your employees about the company’s goals, mission, coming changes, about new projects or new prospects. Remember that you are not the only manager here. Each employee is somehow a manager of their work and their life. Your company is every day managed by dozens of people. Its success depends on them, and it is good if they can feel it. Stress the value of your team. Always.